BABOON'S PASS 14-16,17,18 DEC
- Thread starter ExploreSA
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alanB
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I have nothing but respect for guys that can ride big heavy bikes through terrain like that :thumleft:, I know I can't!
Well done!
But ...
I know its become unpopular to say anything remotely negative about this trip, and I'm not trying to ridicule or diminish the achievement or anything, but you cant really say "a GS1200 can do Baboons" if you didn't make it to the top, and had to extract the bikes via bakkie, can you? This is potentially the source of all the argument. Its just a small point really. Maybe that statement should be revised or qualified in the first post and then all the controversy would evaporate? I suppose its a result of the publicity beforehand which often is a double edged sword in terms of raised expectations.
But anyway, that doesn't detract from the achievement of getting as far as you guys did, which was amazing, and attempting the whole thing in the first place. It was a real adventure for sure.
I would love to see more photo's and hear more about it.
Well done!
But ...
I know its become unpopular to say anything remotely negative about this trip, and I'm not trying to ridicule or diminish the achievement or anything, but you cant really say "a GS1200 can do Baboons" if you didn't make it to the top, and had to extract the bikes via bakkie, can you? This is potentially the source of all the argument. Its just a small point really. Maybe that statement should be revised or qualified in the first post and then all the controversy would evaporate? I suppose its a result of the publicity beforehand which often is a double edged sword in terms of raised expectations.
But anyway, that doesn't detract from the achievement of getting as far as you guys did, which was amazing, and attempting the whole thing in the first place. It was a real adventure for sure.
I would love to see more photo's and hear more about it.
DirtyTeNeReLess
Bachelor Dog
fair comment, i believe what ExploreSA is saying is that they ran out of time and called it at 10pm. as far as the bikes go he wanted to see about clearances and things which seems to have been adequate and reported bashing on the bash plate as to be expected. how much was carried and lifted we will have to wait for the RR. he did say that if you were to complete it you will need to spend a night on the pass. so the feedback for me is that yes they didn't quite make all of it but feel that it is possible with the right amount of time and commitment makes it possible to complete with a GS1200. having said that. a Citi golf with the right amount of time and commitment could get up there too. its their choice of weapon and I don't think anyone should criticize them for that. they knew the risks and short falls but went ahead anyway! what a trip. sure a CRF230 would have been perhaps a better choice but how boring... :thumleft:alanB said:
throttle jockey
Race Dog
alanB said:
My point exactly
But mine got deleted
Censorship is getting as bad as the current government.
So wont speak my free mind.
No one ever stated that it would not be a adventure. It was all about the tool used for the job.
It looks like a great adventure was had by all.
BUT...............
IDR
Grey Hound
THROTTLE JOCKEY said:
Yea, this is a Ride Report, so if you feel you have some issue with how or what they did, please take it up elsewhere, because I for one would REALLY like to see and read about it, and you okes are really screwing up this thread.
DRAZIL
Race Dog
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IDR said:
:thumleft: +1000 I to would like to see the ride report
DirtyTeNeReLess
Bachelor Dog
most anticipated RR of the year! ExploreSA ignore the naysayers. please gooi it here for us.
african dust
Pack Dog
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fortune favours the brave !
all credit to the team that planned and executed it.
this is what makes for great stories to tell the kids and grandkids one day.
all credit to the team that planned and executed it.
this is what makes for great stories to tell the kids and grandkids one day.
Sithe
Race Dog
"It would take the whole the day to do the last 3 km's" ... what type of terrain is that ?
We need to see this RR now ... Johan get cracking with the photos please ... naysayers give us some space
ot:
We need to see this RR now ... Johan get cracking with the photos please ... naysayers give us some space
ot:
ianhogg
Race Dog
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Thorsten, when? I'll take my "pissies" bike too (and tuck my teddy bear under my riding jacket just in case.) [in Oz till middle Jan] Ian. pm sent
Problem_Child
Pack Dog
Hi guys,
This is the first time I am commenting on this thread.
I was one of the lucky few that got to do this trip and up to the preceding evening, I had no intention of doing the ride itself. As a matter of fact I had done the trip down to Lesotho with my wife as a supporter to the brave souls. Myself on the 1200, and my wife on the 700.
I had a set of clapped out Anakees on the bike and after seeing the mountain and all the excitement I decided that since I was there, I'd give it a go. One can always turn around right?
So I was offered a set of slightly used Mitas 07's which we fitted that evening. I had never done this as I have only ever owned a bike since 2010 if memory serves me right. So it's been almost 3 years of learning for me. I now know how to change tyres front and rear.
I am new to this as a "sport" and I had no idea of the scale of the task at hand.
Needless to say my bike was one of those that needed to be recovered as I had abandoned it and it was the last one out.
As for the trip, well I will be working on a video for Youtube which I will gladly share. I am going to leave the actual report to the captain to do, as he did all the planning and should get all the credit.
Did I enjoy it? Well that depends on the perspective. I was challenged from the very beginning and I fell within the first 2 kilometers, ripping off my tank bag in the process. This sounds bad, but actually it was kinda loose already, and this just sealed it's doom, so it was put in the support vehicle which left me without water and energy bars. I could only feed and drink at intervals when the vehicle caught up to us.
This would prove to be the critical factor for me, as I eventually ran out of energy and was totally spent when we abandoned the bikes. It was so bad that I just simply couldn't ride anymore. The terrain had become the most difficult that we had seen all day, and at that point we felt that we were out of energy more than anything. The actual obstacle that stopped us was not ride-able, but with the right assistance, the bikes could probably have gone on. We couldn't, or at least I couldn't. I was totally spent, I couldn't hold anything anymore, my hands were just incapable of any meaningful grip.
I blame it on the fact that I smoke and I am incredibly unfit. I probably became a burden on the others, and I tried my best to help them by pulling and pushing while they continued on. Manus and Stefan still had some beans, but they were left with the task of trying to get 4 bikes through. (Including theirs) This was not fair on them, so I owe them an apology for my poor preparation.
The question of enjoyment still needs to be answered, so here it is.....
Yes, maybe not at the time, but in retrospect, I am very glad I did it. It's like a hike in the mountains, you suffer at the time, but the memories are worth it.
Would I do it again? Yes, but with proper preparation from my part. Fitness is a big factor along with hydration and nutrition. I would also insist on a second day as this leaves you fresh for the most challenging bit.
Can the bikes do it? The bikes can go almost anywhere, but as for standing up and riding them through unassisted, definitely not. One would need help especially at the step up that we didn't get to. I had actually commented the previous evening that I couldn't conceive of an obstacle that couldn't be overcome. I am cured of this naivety.
The skill of the rider also plays a huge role, and I was definitely lacking in that department. I would probably have done better if I rode better in the beginning.
As for those that will say that the KTM would make it, well there was a 990 that didn't make it either - no disrespect to the bike or the rider. I think that we were all just done when we walked.
It was an absolutely amazing adventure, and if we were to have camped at the point where we had reached what we thought was the summit, we would have had a better chance the next day.
It's difficult to explain what the terrain looked like where we stopped, but I can say that it was around 300m long, which is a very short distance, but would have taken very long time to cross. If it weren't for that one piece, we would have made it.
We would have easily done it on smaller bikes, but we would not have had the story to tell............
My bike's crash bars and head cover protectors took a hammering as did one of my crash bar bags. The skid plate also "got some", but as for that, all is still fine. So there is some cosmetic damage, but that's about it.
I'll put the link to the video here when it's done, but it won't be soon, and it won't be short.
This is the first time I am commenting on this thread.
I was one of the lucky few that got to do this trip and up to the preceding evening, I had no intention of doing the ride itself. As a matter of fact I had done the trip down to Lesotho with my wife as a supporter to the brave souls. Myself on the 1200, and my wife on the 700.
I had a set of clapped out Anakees on the bike and after seeing the mountain and all the excitement I decided that since I was there, I'd give it a go. One can always turn around right?
So I was offered a set of slightly used Mitas 07's which we fitted that evening. I had never done this as I have only ever owned a bike since 2010 if memory serves me right. So it's been almost 3 years of learning for me. I now know how to change tyres front and rear.
I am new to this as a "sport" and I had no idea of the scale of the task at hand.
Needless to say my bike was one of those that needed to be recovered as I had abandoned it and it was the last one out.
As for the trip, well I will be working on a video for Youtube which I will gladly share. I am going to leave the actual report to the captain to do, as he did all the planning and should get all the credit.
Did I enjoy it? Well that depends on the perspective. I was challenged from the very beginning and I fell within the first 2 kilometers, ripping off my tank bag in the process. This sounds bad, but actually it was kinda loose already, and this just sealed it's doom, so it was put in the support vehicle which left me without water and energy bars. I could only feed and drink at intervals when the vehicle caught up to us.
This would prove to be the critical factor for me, as I eventually ran out of energy and was totally spent when we abandoned the bikes. It was so bad that I just simply couldn't ride anymore. The terrain had become the most difficult that we had seen all day, and at that point we felt that we were out of energy more than anything. The actual obstacle that stopped us was not ride-able, but with the right assistance, the bikes could probably have gone on. We couldn't, or at least I couldn't. I was totally spent, I couldn't hold anything anymore, my hands were just incapable of any meaningful grip.
I blame it on the fact that I smoke and I am incredibly unfit. I probably became a burden on the others, and I tried my best to help them by pulling and pushing while they continued on. Manus and Stefan still had some beans, but they were left with the task of trying to get 4 bikes through. (Including theirs) This was not fair on them, so I owe them an apology for my poor preparation.
The question of enjoyment still needs to be answered, so here it is.....
Yes, maybe not at the time, but in retrospect, I am very glad I did it. It's like a hike in the mountains, you suffer at the time, but the memories are worth it.
Would I do it again? Yes, but with proper preparation from my part. Fitness is a big factor along with hydration and nutrition. I would also insist on a second day as this leaves you fresh for the most challenging bit.
Can the bikes do it? The bikes can go almost anywhere, but as for standing up and riding them through unassisted, definitely not. One would need help especially at the step up that we didn't get to. I had actually commented the previous evening that I couldn't conceive of an obstacle that couldn't be overcome. I am cured of this naivety.
The skill of the rider also plays a huge role, and I was definitely lacking in that department. I would probably have done better if I rode better in the beginning.
As for those that will say that the KTM would make it, well there was a 990 that didn't make it either - no disrespect to the bike or the rider. I think that we were all just done when we walked.
It was an absolutely amazing adventure, and if we were to have camped at the point where we had reached what we thought was the summit, we would have had a better chance the next day.
It's difficult to explain what the terrain looked like where we stopped, but I can say that it was around 300m long, which is a very short distance, but would have taken very long time to cross. If it weren't for that one piece, we would have made it.
We would have easily done it on smaller bikes, but we would not have had the story to tell............
My bike's crash bars and head cover protectors took a hammering as did one of my crash bar bags. The skid plate also "got some", but as for that, all is still fine. So there is some cosmetic damage, but that's about it.
I'll put the link to the video here when it's done, but it won't be soon, and it won't be short.
ALLEN I
Race Dog
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Respect. Never doubted that you guys would be buggered before you reached the top, i no it takes a lot out of you , but i also new that you guys were in for an adventure of a life time. All the negative responce, im glad you ou's fueled up on it. As i stated from the beginning this is why we ride our bikes for adventure, to chalenge our selfs and our machines. shure you still going to get the clowns out there who say see i told you so, but at least you can look them in the face and say i done it. My greatest respect to you guys. well done. Looking foward to the RR.
ExploreSA
Race Dog
Thanks guys for all the positive input lately and support.
I will start writing this weekend... And there is a lot to say.
Maybe, afterwards, we can arrange a get-together at Bapsfontein area when we have our reunion and show the pics and videos on a big screen? Impossible to put the whole nuance in writing.
I will start writing this weekend... And there is a lot to say.
Maybe, afterwards, we can arrange a get-together at Bapsfontein area when we have our reunion and show the pics and videos on a big screen? Impossible to put the whole nuance in writing.
TVB
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Lees ek die mos nou raak! Lekker man lekker, gooi daai RR menere ons wag!
Respect!!!
Respect!!!
ON-RNR
Pack Dog
I have one two friends that also enjoy this kind of thing. We enjoy technical riding with our plastic bikes and don’t always realize we are on adventure bikes when the baboons like pass appear out of no ware. Who will be the first one to admit we should not do this?
Anyhow my GSA made it to almost 70 000km before I could hear a prop shaft replacement was eminent. The bike was written of shortly after due to an accident. We do train so life is easier when it gets tuff.
So well done guys there is more of you out there that seeks that extra adventure and my GSA proves that the bike’s can handle, let’s say, more adventure kind of rides.
Looking forward to the RR
Anyhow my GSA made it to almost 70 000km before I could hear a prop shaft replacement was eminent. The bike was written of shortly after due to an accident. We do train so life is easier when it gets tuff.
So well done guys there is more of you out there that seeks that extra adventure and my GSA proves that the bike’s can handle, let’s say, more adventure kind of rides.
Looking forward to the RR
